Electric resistance or induction heating elements used on cooktops do not always provide visual sues to a user about how hot the elements, cookware, or food may be. On some cooktops, status information about cooking is provided implicitly by the controls used to regulate the heating elements or explicitly by displays related to the controls. United States patent application US0024/0238524A1 proposes to warn users when an element is hot using LEDs arranged under the cooktop.